InsaneJournal

Name

Jennifer

Fandom

Rule Of Rose

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_Rose

Age

19

PB

Nicole Linkletter

Job

Music student. Works part time in a flower shop downtown.

Sexual Orientation

Considers herself heterosexual. However, she finds herself much more comfortable around girls.

Appearance

First thing that you'll notice about Jennifer is how she shrinks, afraid of the world, and trying to get as less attention as possible. She's short, delicate-looking and a bit gloomy. Not only is her complexion a weak one- she also moves delicately, hands over her chest in a protective position, as if expecting to be hurt at any second.

She has light brown hair, long and pretty, but always kept tied in a modest, old fashioned style. Her eyes are the same bright blue as her father's- and always have a worried, slightly nervous expression, no matter in what mood she's in.

Jennifer is a pretty girl- but tends to not get much attention. Not only because of her clothing style- never showing more skin than absolutely necessary; it is also the way she acts and moves, suggesting an extreme shyness.

Personality

Jennifer is a timid, soft-spoken girl who seems weak and can be easily pushed about and ordered by others. However, she is actually very determined and loyal. When tormented enough, she is shown to be quite violent to others, though that is a very rare side of her.

She has trouble meeting new people, and has to gather quite some courage before starting a conversation. Even when she speaks, it's quiet and avoiding meeting the other person's eyes. She is also very easily frightened, and has some strange phobias she can't really explain; like her irrational fear towards story books and airships...

Jennifer never stands up to people who bully her, even if they're younger or/and weaker. And those people aren't few- her inability to fight back and her attitude makes her a magnet for bullies.

She doesn't smile too much, either, and that makes people think she's permanently sad, even if she isn't. Her friends are few- and between them, there is a dog, probably the only creature she really trusts.

History

Once upon a time, there was a precious little girl.

Her friend, the Princess of the Red Rose, was always by her side.

Then one day, her mummy and daddy died suddenly. The Princess, too, disappeared, leaving the girl all alone.

And the little girl was sent away to a strange house.

At her new home, the Aristocrat Club lived by the Rule of Rose.

But the girl found herself very much alone, until she discovered a new friend. The girl and her companion obeyed the Rule of Rose.

For in the Aristocrat Club, the Rule of Rose was absolute, as was the word of the Princess of the Red Rose.

The girl obeyed the Rule of Rose, but the Countess refused to like her.
The girl obeyed the Rule of Rose, but the Baroness punished her still.
The girl obeyed the Rule of Rose, but the Duchess taunted her anew.

And yet the girl and her friend were still faithful to the Rule of Rose.

The Princess of the Red Rose found this all very dull. And so, she issued a Rule of Rose for the final time.

The girl was to sacrifice her very special friend. And when she did, she became a Princess.

A lonely little girl burdened by the Rule of Rose. The woeful Princess put her memories under lock and key, forever and ever.


Little is known about Jennifer’s past life- but it was more than possible than she led a tranquil, happy life until April 25th, 1929, when an airship took flight for a long travel- from Cardington to India. The maiden flight was given a large-ribbon cutting ceremony, as it was “the World’s Largest Airship” at the moment. However, around June 23th, during the return journey, the airship faced weather difficulties, went off course and crashed close to Cardington. Jennifer was the only survivor, and she was later saved by Gregory M. Wilson (Stray Dog).

Jennifer lived with Gregory until late January of 1930. She was kept locked in the basement, and forced to wear boy’s clothes. Gregory was using her as a replacement for his dead son, Joshua; and although the man was clearly mentally unstable (a few hints here and there suggest that he kidnapped other children, forced them to act as his son, and killed them- possibly ate them, too- when they tried to escape)- he was kind to Jennifer, and the girl never tried to escape or to fight him (“the man is so sad and lonely, I can’t just leave him alone”).

From November 1929 to January 1930, Jennifer exchanged letters with a girl (Wendy) living in the local orphanage (“Rose Garden”) by posting them through the basement’s window. At first, Wendy called Jennifer Joshua, under the impression the little girl was actually a boy—and even when Jennifer told Wendy her real name; they still called each other the Prince and the Princess.

Wendy tried to convince Jennifer to run away with her several times, and although the girl would have been happy to go with Wendy, she didn’t want to leave Gregory on his own. She had seen him point a gun to his head a good number of times—so towards the end of January, after pledging her love for Wendy and while Gregory was out the house, Wendy breaks in, unlocks the basement’s door and takes the pistol. Taking Gregory’s “instrument of justice” with them, both girls run away to the Orphanage, and exchange items to remind themselves of their friendship. Jennifer gives her a teddy bear that Wendy promptly names Joshua; and Wendy gives Jennifer her red rose-cluster brooch.

Once in the orphanage, Jennifer finds herself very much alone. The other children don't like her, neither do the adults; including Hoffman, the headmaster. She was known as “the new girl”, or “the filthy wretch”. It isn’t clear of why even the housekeeper despised Jennifer this much (“dirty wretch, why are you always skipping your duties?” / “The unlucky girl met Martha, the Queen of cleaning. The queen glared at Jennifer as if she were filthier than dirt itself. ‘Filthy wretch’.”), since apparently she took good care of her chores- washing clothes. Towards the end of the game, Jennifer comments she didn’t mind the work, since it was quite a refreshing thing to do.

Jennifer soon discovers the orphanage is rotten inside. Hoffman molests Diana (one of the older girls at the orphanage), and there are a few hints that he raped Clara, later forcing her to abort. All the children hate the adults, and are convinced that they would be happy living by themselves only. They have created an organization known as the Red Crayon Aristocrats, and it doesn’t take them long to invite Jennifer in. She, however, belongs to the lower class, ‘beggar’, and is treated as such by the other orphans.

Later on, Jennifer finds a Labrador puppy somewhere close to the orphanage; and quickly adopts him, giving him a collar and the name Brown. With him by his side, Jennifer doesn’t feel alone anymore. She introduces him to Wendy, who pretends to be sweet and happy upon meeting the dog, but quickly makes her feelings clear: her, or the dog. Jennifer doesn’t want to leave the puppy alone, and her attempts to make Wendy like her new friend fail. Wendy sends her one last, threatening letter, telling her that she will regret choosing Brown over her.

Things go downhill after this. The orphans either ignore or torture Jennifer, with terrible but childish punishments, such as pressing a rat to her face until she faints, or trap her into a bag full of bugs.
By the end of November 1930 and the beginning of December, the orphanage has gone into dismay - Mr. Hoffman, Martha and Clara “disappear” (killed by Stray Dog, perhaps?), leaving the children on their own without any sort of adult supervision. Jennifer moves from the shared bedroom to the Filth Room, keeping Brown in the shed, away from the others. The children's behavior towards her takes a turn for the worse. They trick her into thinking they have accepted her, then attack her; tying her up and gagging her with crayons. After this they ignore her (“No matter how hard she cried, she was all alone. What a poor, unlucky girl.”)- but Jennifer has Brown by her side, so she endures it.

…That, until one last, fatidic day. Jennifer is given two choices: die, or give up her friend-- and she chooses the latter (“Today is the day of your funeral. If you don't like it, then you must sacrifice your friend. Who wants to be buried alive? So the girl did what she had to, and buried her best friend.”). Thinking that Jennifer would come back to her after Brown’s death, Wendy reveals her true identity: the Princess of the Red Rose, the one who had been behind it all, ordering the orphans to ignore her so Jennifer would have no other friends (there is an interesting theory about Brown being a puppet all along, and Wendy doing all this to make Jennifer snap out of it, but this isn't confirmed nor denied).

This is the last straw for Jennifer. Finding out that her best friend had killed her beloved dog pushes her over the edge; and she attacks Wendy in a public fit of rage, slapping her repeatedly in front of the other children. She calls her a liar, claiming that she will never forgive her for what she’s done; then turning towards the ‘aristocrats’ (“I hate you! And I hate you! And you!! But I hate myself the very most, for playing YOUR stupid games and not having the strength to stand up to you! …It's all just hideous.”), ripping the broach from her chest and throwing it away in a physical act that showed their friendship was over. Hurt and humiliated, Wendy bursts into tears and runs away.

Not too long after this, the other orphans- after realizing that Wendy has lied to them- ask Jennifer to be their new princess. But before Jennifer can give them a proper answer, they run out to make fun of Wendy, who is out in the rain. What they don’t know is that Wendy has been secretly training Stray Dog, Gregory’s alter ego. She disguised herself as Joshua, and used the man’s devotion to his dead son to control him. Under her orders, Stray Dog kills the children. Wendy dies too, though it’s unclear if she hanged herself or was killed by Gregory when he realized she was not his son.

Jennifer escapes death when Gregory - realizing what he’s done - kills himself with his pistol. Yet again, Jennifer is the only survivor. Shortly after, Officer Doolittle takes Jennifer away from the gruesome scene. What happens to Jennifer after the massacre is unclear- but ten years later, as she’s riding a bus, a little boy leads her to an orphanage…

In game history

Jennifer had an interesting childhood in Harmony, to say the least. Her mother died giving birth, and Jennifer was a premature baby, and always a sickly child; with the same weak complexion her mother had.

Upon her mother’s death, she was adopted by her biological father –who hadn’t been planning to raise her in the first place –Gregory House, head of the musical department in Harmony University. He, young, inexperienced and unexpecting as he was, wasn’t the best father one could ask for; with too much sarcasm, irony and mean replies –but he’s decent enough, and Jennifer loves him as he is, grumpiness and all.

She is constantly striving for her father’s approval, but her nerves tend to betray her. Jennifer wasn’t the brightest of kids, especially when pressured; but she managed to learn how to play the piano and some string instruments like the violin and violoncello, beating lack of natural talent with effort.

At the moment, Jennifer is juggling between studying music at Harmony University, working part-time in a flower shop downtown and taking care of the apartment she and her father live in.